


Pearl Diving

by Night_Writer



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Aftercare, Beach Sex, Cock Tease, F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Fucking, Minor appearance by child Ciri, Multiple Orgasms, Ocean Sex, Original Child Characters, Public Masturbation, Public Nudity, Public Sex, Romantic Fluff, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, a little fluff and a little angst, eventual pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:20:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24623842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_Writer/pseuds/Night_Writer
Summary: Calanthe relaxes on the Skelligen shores watching her husband diving for pearls.When he comes up to her with another treasure from his dive, he deposits it with the rest, taking his wife's lips in a tender kiss.Eist tells her that it is Skelligen tradition to consummate a marriage in the sea, and manages to drag Calanthe into the waves to do just that.
Relationships: Calanthe Fiona Riannon/Eist Tuirseach
Comments: 6
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

Calanthe watched her husband disappear beneath the water’s surface, a smile dancing on her lips as a soft chuckle pushed out of her throat. She leaned back on her hands, her toned body covered by only her bra and panties, watching as Eist popped up to the surface, a smile on his face and a pearl in his hand. Though the Isles were cold and clouded over, she admitted that they held ravishing beauty beneath the ocean waves that surrounded them. Eist stepped out of the surf, water glistening and dripping from his skin and hair as he approached her, leaning in to capture her lips in a tender kiss as he propped the pearl up next to the others he had collected for her.

“I plan to have these beauties fashioned into a necklace for you.” He smiled, his fingers brushing her hair back behind her ear. “It is only fitting that they be worn by you.”

“Stop it.” She chuckled, a soft blush creeping onto her cheeks as pushed his hand away. “You’re too sentimental.”

“That may be, but I know for a fact that you adore that about me.” He laughed, leaning in a placing a kiss to her shoulder. “And I know you wouldn’t change that about me.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” She questioned, laughing as he pushed her down onto the blanket beneath them on the sand, his fingers tangling in her hair as his other hand gripped her waist. She melted beneath his touch, her back arching slightly as his lips lingers on her neck, kissing and nipping at the pulse in her throat.

“You wouldn’t.” He breathed, unclasping her bra, exposing her pert breasts to the cool air. “Nor would you change my passion for you.” He mumbled, his kisses trailing down her chest and into the valley of skin between her breasts.

He slipped his underwear from his waist as he kissed at her flat stomach, sending butterflies through her as she leaned up on her elbows and gazed down at him. He met her eyes for a moment and smiled at her before he slipped his fingers beneath the waistband of her panties and slipped them down her thighs, dropping them to the blanket as he kissed down her legs while his fingers combed through the bush of ashen hair that covered her pelvis. She moaned at the touch, her head falling back as her husband trailed his kisses back up her other leg as his thumb began to slowly circle her clit, massaging the tender nub as she laid back onto the blanket once more.

“There’s my queen.” He hummed, reaching up to cup her left breast as he leaned in to capture her lips in a hot kiss, his tongue brushing over her lip and begging to explore her mouth before she granted him entrance and pressed her own tongue to his, encircling it as she gently raked her teeth over it, earning a muffled chuckle from her husband as he pulled his tongue back and broke the kiss, smiling down at her with a devilish glint in his eyes. “Come… Join me in the water.”

“What?” She questioned, gazing at him as he grabbed her hand in his, pulling her upright. She planted her heel into the sand, her emerald eyes still focused on him as he gazed at her. “The water?” She deadpanned. “You’re going to take me in the ocean?”

“As is tradition.” He chuckled, tracing his fingers over her wrist as he continued to hold her outstretched hand. “It’s customary to consummate with the blessings of the sea.”

“Eist, we’ve already well consummated our marriage.” She replied. “I doubt the sea will grant us much.” She chuckled at that, her eyes shimmering beneath the moonlight as she gazed at him.

“We’ll never know unless we try.” He winked, pulling her to her feet and leading her out to the sea, much to her dismay.

He stepped in, letting the water lap at his shins before he pulled her in at his side. She hissed at the chill, but he held tight to her, keeping her warm at his side until she adjusted to the change in temperature. Once she was initially comfortable, he led her out further until the water was up to their waist, sending a shiver through her as she once again tried to adjust to the temperature of the water.

“You’re going to hate it, but the quickest way to adjust to the water is to submerge beneath it.” He offered, hand holding tight to hers as she snapped her gaze to him.

“What?!” She cried, teeth chattering a moment later from the cold. “Submerge myself in this ice water?”

“It’s the quickest way.” Eist tried once more, arm wrapping around her waist as he came to stand before her, his eyes focused intently on hers.

Calanthe could feel his cock press against her thigh, sending a shiver of pleasure through her as a blush began to creep across her cheeks once more. Her husband was the one most adjusted to the sea, and she knew his direction was correct, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. Eist brought his hands around her back and dropped them to cup her ass, laughing at the blush that began to trail down her neck as she slapped his shoulder.

“Here, I’ve got an idea.” He offered, bringing one hand up to cradle her neck while the other pulled back to her hip. He stepped to her right, looking at her with a soft smile on his lips. “Lie back.”

Calanthe hesitated for a moment before she allowed herself to lean back against the support of Eist’s hand against her neck. He brought his right hand out to rest beneath her knee as she extended her right leg, then followed with the left, as Eist supported her in the water. She shivered, teeth chattering, as her body tried to acclimate to the temperature of the water.

“Relax, love.” Eist chuckled, leaning down to capture her lips in a tender kiss.

Calanthe began to steady her breathing, taking deep breaths in before releasing a few seconds later. She focused on Eist’s smile, feeling herself calm and warm up in his tender hold. Once her breathing was controlled and her body had adjusted to the chill of the water, he lowered her back to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist once more.

“Now… Where were we?” He questioned before trailing his right hand over her hip, his fingers dancing against her toned skin.

“I believe we were going to let the sea consummate our marriage.” She purred, reaching out to grasp his shaft, slowly pumping the tender skin as she gave her husband a mischievous smile.

He smirked in response as his fingers dipped between her thighs and began to tenderly massage her clit, pushing a soft moan from her lips as he slowly circled the tender nub with his index finger, leaning in to kiss and suck at her neck, causing her head to fall back at the combined sensation. Eist slowly slipped his middle finger between her folds, rubbing against her walls as he slowly pumped his finger in and out of her folds. Calanthe returned her husband’s affections, her lips ghosting over his lips and chin in soft kisses before trailing down his neck to his shoulder, bringing a hum of pleasure from his lips.

He pulled his fingers from her folds and grabbed her leg, holding the back of her knee as he used his free hand to line his head with her folds before slipping his length into her, releasing a shuddering sigh as he did so. Calanthe bit back the moan that sat in her throat, instead releasing a soft groan of pleasure as Eist slowly began to rock his hips against hers, pulling his shaft out to the head before thrusting back into her. She wrapped her arms around him, one draped over his shoulder while the other snaked around beneath the arm that currently held her leg, her nails scratching at his skin and drawing a grunt of pleasure from his lips as her nails left angry welts on his skin. He nipped at her earlobe as she began to rock her hips against his, pulling back with him and slamming down on his shaft as he thrust up to meet her, driving his cock against her cervix as she whimpered and moaned against his ear, pushing them both closer and closer to climax as they fucked.

Eist brought his free hand down to gather up her other leg, holding her up as he began to pound into her, driving his shaft further into her folds as he slammed his hips against her. She huffed and moaned, stuttering against him as her walls contracted around his cock, cum coating his shaft as his wife reached her orgasm, leaving her shaking in his arms. With her release he slammed his shaft once more against her cervix, spilling his seed deep inside of her as climax released the coil of pleasure in his stomach. He pulled his length from her and eased her back onto her feet, holding her steady as the euphoria slowly left her. A few moments later, with lust still in her eyes, Calanthe pulled Eist back towards the shore, stopping only once the water was low enough to wade in. She lowered to the sand and balanced herself on her knees and forearms, ass pushed up towards her husband as she gave him a smirk over her shoulder.

“Don’t just stare, darling.” She purred, wiggling her hips as he gazed down at her with hunger in his eyes. “Fuck me.” She teased, leaning back slightly against her heels before she felt Eist’s hands grip her hips from behind.

He pressed his cock against her ass, slowly teasing her as he pushed forwards until his balls pressed against her clit, sending a shiver of excitement through her as the coil of pleasure in her belly began to wind up once more. Eist pushed back between her folds once more, his shaft angled just enough to press against her most tender spot, earning a stifled cry of pleasure as Calanthe buried her face in the crook of her arm, her breasts bouncing with each of her husband’s thrusts. Eist leaned over his wife’s back, kissing and nipping at her shoulders before trailing as far down her back as he could, his hips rocking against hers as he continued to quicken his pace. Calanthe cried out in pleasure as her husband continued to thrust into her, his movements becoming faster and his pounding becoming harsher as they both approached climax once more. He brought his hand around to press between her thighs, hastily rubbing at her clit as he pounded into her, forcing harsher cries of pleasure from her lips. Calanthe dug her fingers into the sand beneath her and gripped as much as she could. She gasped and moaned, which slowly turned into yelps and cries of pleasure, as she came closer to climax once more.

“I-I… I’m cumming!” She cried, thighs and arms shaking with impending release.

Her orgasm came hard and fast, her back arching up as she came to her husband’s thrusts, her walls clenching his cock as they contracted with release. Eist came soon after, pounding once more against her cervix and filling her with his hot seed. He groaned with each sputtering shot of release until he could cum no more, easing his cock from his wife’s folds with a thin rope of cum trailing with it. Calanthe slumped to the sand, the waves lapping against her flushed skin as the moon shone down upon them. Eist leaned over her, trailing kisses over her back until he came to kiss her cheek, then lips, as they both came down from orgasm. Calanthe rolled onto her back, gazing up at her king with a satisfied smile coming to her lips.

“How do you feel?” He questioned, his hand rubbing over her hip as he gazed into her emerald eyes.

“Fulfilled…” She breathed, one arm draped over her abdomen as the other came to rest on his arm. “That was incredible.”

“I told you the sea would gift us.” He laughed, leaning in to kiss her swollen lips once more, his tongue ghosting over them before they parted again. “Would I have lied to you?”

“About sex? Absolutely not.” She chuckled, watching him as he laid at her side, beckoning her to join him.

“Let’s relax for a spell… Regain our strength for the ride back to town.” He offered,

“You don’t have to ask me twice.” Calanthe chuckled, turning into her husband’s side as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head as she relaxed in his arms. She dozed off moments later with Eist watching over her, letting the cool waves lap against their legs.

“I love you…” Eist whispered, kissing her hair once more. “I’d be lost without you, my queen.” She cuddled closer to him at his words, bringing a wider smile to his lips before he turned his gaze to the stars.

He silently hoped that, this time, they were successful in their desire to have a child of their own.


	2. Child of the Sea

Calanthe stared at the woman before her, eyes wide and confused, while her body sat rigid and straight. The woman gazed back at her with a soft smile, as any young medic would sport with the presentation of ‘good news’, before gathering up her papers in her arms.

Perhaps it had been a joke… Medical professionals could be wrong. Hell, they had let her down before with ‘good news’ that turned into her lying on the cold stone in the gardens with blood caked onto her inner thighs. Those were the nights were Eist refused to sleep and instead kept himself up all night, keeping a watchful eye over her, to make sure she slept through the night. Three times he had helped her bathe before dressing her in a soft, warm nightgown and settling her into bed. He would lay behind her, pulling her to his chest, and would kiss her shoulder and bathe her in love.

Unfortunately, it was never a happy ending. And she knew that this time would be no different. Three times she had lost their baby. Three times she had bled and writhed in pain. Three times she cried herself to sleep with her faithful husband keeping watch over her.

“Are you sure…” She questioned, her voice quivering just slightly as she gazed at the young woman.

“I’m quite sure, my queen. You are near three months, based on your last cycle and the fullness of your figure.” The medic explained, her hands folded in her lap as she gazed into Calanthe’s eyes. “You will begin to show soon, if you don’t believe my words.”

Calanthe sighed, hands on her knees as she brought her gaze to the floor. Of course, the young medic was right. She had had morning sickness, she had cravings, she had to have her dresses tailored to accommodate her changing figure. But that did not mean that a pregnancy would last. And she had to prepare herself for that.

“Have you told the king yet?” The woman asked, her voice once more drawing Calanthe’s gaze up to her own.

Oh gods… Eist. She hadn’t even had the chance to think of him or his reaction. She hadn’t planned to tell him about anything until she was absolutely, unequivocally sure that she was pregnant. Sure, she had had her own suspicions, but they were now confirmed, leaving her with having to tell her husband the news.

She wanted to vomit.

She could only force herself to smile and nod at the medic before dismissing her from her. Once she had left, Calanthe wrapped her arms around herself and tried to calm her shaken nerves. The Lioness would not shed tears this day. She would not allow her emotions to overcome her. She steeled herself and sat upright, placing a palm to her abdomen with a look of pained relief.

“Perhaps… Perhaps you will make it.” She breathed, brushing her thumb against the fabric of her dress. “Perhaps we shall have the chance to bring you into the world… Gods be willing to give us this happiness.”

She smiled for a moment before it melted into a frown. She gripped the fabric between her fingers and bit at her bottom lip, her eyes focused on the city beyond the window before her. She imagined a little boy with Eist’s dark hair and her green eyes running about the city and becoming a knight. She imagined him marrying a lovely young lady and having a gaggle of children for her to smother with love. He and his wife would take over as king and queen when she decided to step down and retire to the Isles with her husband.

She then imagined another little girl for her to love and cherish, as she had with her Pavetta. She would have her same features, with brilliant ashen hair and striking emerald eyes. She would make sure that her daughter was trained to wield a sword as well as dressing like a princess. She could see her daughter becoming the new Lioness of Cintra, taking over as their leader, and pushing Cintra into a prosperous future. She would marry a strong young man and bear him beautiful children; sons who would be strong knights, and daughters who would marry young lords from neighboring provinces to strengthen Cintra’s place on the Continent.

She sighed, forcing herself to her feet and making her way towards the door of her chambers. She steeled herself for the conversation with her husband that was soon to come, taking in a few deep breaths to steady her racing heart.

“Well… Time to speak to your father.” She whispered, placing her palms to her stomach once more before stepping out into the hallway and dropping her hands to her sides.

She knew where to find Eist. He usually trained with the young knights in the evenings, and should he not be doing that, she would find him perched out by the lake with an ale in his hand. She approached the training grounds and found them empty. With a smirk and shake of her head, she turned to her left and began walking towards the lake, her eyes constantly scanning for either her husband or immediate danger. When her gaze fell on her husband’s back, she allowed herself to relax slightly as she came up to him, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders as she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“I thought I’d find you here.” She hummed, coming around the bench to sit beside him.

“I’m glad you did…” He replied. “It was getting lonely here without you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, bringing a soft smile to her lips.

“I need to talk to you, Eist.” She sighed, leaning against his side as he pulled her closer to him.

At the dip in her voice, he could tell she struggled internally with her emotions. He held her a little closer, tucking her head beneath his chin as he rubbed soothing circles over her back. Calanthe relaxed her shoulders, just slightly, beneath his touch. He had always known just how to soothe her worries and calm her mind. Now was no different.

“You don’t have to talk about it tonight, love.” He whispered. He pulled away from her before moving to straddle the bench they sat on, then leaned in to place a kiss to her temple. “If it’s too much, then perhaps you should sleep on it.”

“I can’t.” She breathed, shaking her head, and tossing her ashen locks about her shoulders. The loose strands coming to frame her face. “Eist… I… I’m pregnant.” She finally blurted out, hands balled into fists that sat on her knees. She clenched her eyes shut, too afraid to look him in the eye. She knew that he would be happy, of course. They had been trying for a child for years now, and had only succeeded three times prior to this, all of which ended in heartbreak for them both. She was terrified of getting his hopes up. Hell, she was terrified of getting her own hopes up for this child. She didn’t hold much as it was.

“How far…?” He questioned, his hand coming over to cover hers. She was suddenly nauseous.

“About three months.” She replied, still not looking at him.

She could feel his hand cover hers. His fingers pressing lightly against her thumb before gliding up to her wrist. She stiffened as he wrapped his right arm around her and brought his left hand to rest on her belly, though she had not yet begun to show. He leaned in and placed a kiss to her shoulder, then her temple, before nuzzling his nose to her cheek.

“The sea has blessed us with this pregnancy.” He breathed, silently praying to the sea for a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. “You have made me incredibly happy, Calanthe.” He whispered, his breath rolling over her skin as he spoke. She shivered at its contact, covering her arms with goosebumps as she turned her gaze up into her husband’s. He smiled down at her before taking her lips in a soft, tender kiss, pulling away a moment later to press his forehead to hers. “We have been given the chance to try once more… The chance for us to finally have children together.”

“Slow down, Eist…” Calanthe mumbled, her hands pressed to his chest. She pushed him back so that she could once more look into his eyes. “I’ve yet to come out of the first trimester… There is still a chance that… That we…” Her voice failed her as her eyes filled with tears that she refused to shed. Eist pulled her to his chest, soothing her fears with tender words.

“I’m here, love… Breathe…” He began, his voice calm and warm as he held his wife close. Calanthe shivered and shook in his arms, her own wrapping tightly around his waist, as she released silent tears onto Eist’s tunic. “There… That’s it…” He encouraged,  
kissing her hair as he rubbed her back.

Eist hated to see her so despondent and broken. When Pavetta had died, she was the same way. When she had miscarried their three children prior, she had been broken. She had said that her womb would never bare another child after her Pavetta. Eist had promised her that they would have children of their own, and he intended to keep that promise.

“Come… Let’s head to bed.” He offered, standing up and extending his hand to her. “I’ll have your favorite tea brought up.”

Calanthe offered him a watery smile before taking hold of his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. They made their way back to the keep, hands linked, and fingers intertwined, talking about their possible future; about the family that they hoped to build together. They quickly changed and climbed beneath the quilts, Calanthe pressing her back to Eist’s chest as she curled up beneath the comfort of the quilt and his embrace. Eist wrapped his arm around her waist, his palm once more resting over her abdomen as a smile graced his lips. He kissed her shoulder before nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

“You’ll be a wonderful mother all over again.” He breathed, settling in once more beside her. She brought her hand to rest over his, her fingers brushing lightly over his knuckles as she did so.

“I’m glad you think so…” She whispered, pressing impossibly closer to him, “I fear I might not be… That this time will be like the previous three.”

“My love, don’t.” Eist replied, wrapping his arms a little tighter around her. “You can’t have thoughts like this… They hurt you too much, and it pains me to see you so broken hearted.”

“I can’t help it.” Calanthe mumbled. “I just… I can not let my hopes get too high before I know for sure that this pregnancy will last to term.”

“I will be excited for the both of us… At least until you feel like it is the right time for you to allow yourself to be excited for yourself.” He smiled, pressing his lips to her shoulder once more. “I love you, my queen.”

“And I love you, dear.” She chuckled, leaning back against him.

“Get some rest, love.”

“I expect you to do so as well.” She chuckled, hand once more resting on his.

The two of them drifted off slowly until the waves of sleep had drowned them both beneath the surface.


	3. Chapter 3

Ciri settled in at Calanthe’s side, her wide emerald eyes and disheveled ashen hair bringing a smile to her grandmother’s lips. The four-year-old had been the center of attention these last few weeks as she dutifully helped her grandparents set up the nursery and sat politely at dinner. Calanthe was pleased with Ciri’s demeanor, especially since she had been told of Calanthe’s pregnancy. When Ciri had heard the news, her eyes grew wide as a smile spread across her face. She had leapt into Eist’s arms, squeals of happiness erupting from her small frame as she wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s neck. She was calmer when she approached Calanthe, her arms coming to wrap around her grandmother’s waist as she pressed her ear to the swell that had taken form in her abdomen.

“Can you feel them, cub?” Calanthe questioned, brushing her fingers through Ciri’s mop of ashen hair.

Ciri simply beamed up at her and vigorously nodded her head yes before returning to her position. Calanthe couldn’t help the watery smile she gave to Eist as she placed her hand on Ciri’s back, watching her granddaughter bond over her unborn child. She was filled with so much pride and love, her heart warming at the sight of Ciri curled up at her side, whispering stories to her belly as she felt for each tumble and kick that the babe offered in response.

Calanthe had asked Ciri if she was hungry, which the little one replied that she was almost immediately, earning a laugh from both Calanthe and Eist as the latter scooped her up in his arms, tossing her over his shoulder as he gazed down at his wife.

“I’ll take the little lioness to the dining hall for her lunch. Do you want anything, love?” He offered, his eyes settling on hers.

“No… The babe and I are quite alright, dear.” She replied, resting on hand on the swell of her belly as she reclined to rest against the other. Eist leaned down and captured her lips in a quick peck.

“Suit yourself, love. More food for us, rascal!” He roared, sprinting out of the room with Ciri laughing and giggling the whole way down the hall.

Calanthe couldn’t help but laugh at her husband and granddaughter, the happiness swelling in her heart as Ciri’s giggles finally disappeared down the hallway. She reclined, relaxing a bit as she propped her arm over the swell of her stomach.

“You’ll soon be big enough to join them.” She smiled, gazing down at her belly with nothing but love in her eyes. “And I cannot wait for that day, my cub.”

A few kicks brought forth a wince, but it was soon replaced with a smile once more. The Lioness stood from the bed and made her way over to her dresser, pulling a loose-fitting nightgown from the drawers. She undressed, with some difficulty, and slipped the gown over her head, pulling it down over her body before letting it drop over her legs. With a stifled yawn, she climbed back into bed, covering herself with the quilt before allowing sleep to take over.

\---------

Sleep didn’t last long, and she was soon awoken by a dull throbbing pain in her lower back. Eyes fluttering open, she glanced groggily around the room, noting that she was alone in her chambers. Eist wasn’t at her side, as he would have been, causing her brows to knit in confusion.

“Eist?” She questioned, pushing herself upright as she looked to his side of the bed.

Sure enough, it was empty, which only caused her confusion to intensify. She pulled the quilt from her legs and climbed out of bed, shuffling towards the door and out into the hallway. She moved down to the room beside hers and glanced inside, only to see Ciri sleeping peacefully in her bed. The sight brought a soft smile to her lips before she closed the door and pressed on down the hall, eventually making her way out into the courtyard. Still she couldn’t find her husband, and it was beginning to grate on her nerves. She walked towards the training grounds, ever mindful of the dull ache in her back, and yet it stood empty. With a huff of annoyance, she made her way towards the lake, having to stop a few times along to way to rest against a tree. She knew what was happening.

She was in labor.

She felt almost helpless, though she pressed onwards, refusing to linger on the dull throb that had steadily turned into a consistent pain that had radiated around to her pelvis. She would be damned if she would deliver without Eist at her side. When she caught sight of him perched in his usual spot on the bench, she breathed a soft sigh of relief before closing the distance between them. Once she stood behind him, she called out to him.

“Eist?” She questioned, pulling him from his thoughts and bringing his startled gaze to her.

“Calanthe? Love, what are you doing out of bed?”

“Well, it seems the little one has other plans for me tonight.” She chuckled, palms pressed to the small of her back as she gazed down into her husband’s eyes. Eist turned to face her, his hands coming to rest on either side of her abdomen, with confusion in his eyes.

“What is it, my queen?” He inquired, his eyes searching hers as she brought her hands out to rest on his. “What is our babe all worked up about?”

“It seems my womb is now too small for them.” She replied, a hiss pushing through her teeth a moment later as a harsh kick came from the child within. Eist’s eyes grew impossibly wide at the sound.

“You’re in labor?!” He panicked, jumping to his feet before being stopped by her hands on his chest.

“Calm down, Eist… Panicking won’t help me.” She breathed, her eyes closing for a moment as a contraction slowly passed through her. “Help me back to the castle… We can at least get a midwife there.”

Eist hastily nodded his head, wrapping his arm around Calanthe’s waist as he turned her towards the castle. He walked beside her, his steps slow and deliberate as it grew harder and harder for Calanthe to keep trudging forwards. When her legs eventually did give out, he eased her down to the stone walkway that circled the fountain in the courtyard. He glanced around and saw the flames of torches flickering off the walls. He called out, asking for the help of the guards making their rounds. Three men rounded the corner, swords drawn and ready, as they glanced around for any signs of attack. At seeing the king instead, and the queen collapsed beside him, they ran to their side and offered to help however they could.

“Help me get the queen back to her bedchambers.” Eist instructed, wrapping one of Calanthe’s arms around his neck while the oldest guard took the other. Together they pulled Calanthe back up to her feet, earning a small whimper of pain as another contraction rippled across her abdomen. “You two, gather her legs up and walk as quickly as you can. We need to summon the midwife.”

The guards did as instructed, gathering Calanthe’s legs into their arms and hoisting her up in order to carry her through the castle back to her bedchambers. As they passed by one of the guards in the main hall, Eist bid him to summon the midwife as they continued to push forwards towards their chambers. When they arrived, the men eased her down onto the mattress, offered to stand guard over them and Ciri, then made their way out into the main hall to exchange their rounds around the courtyard to stand watch instead. A short while later, much to Eist’s dismay, the midwife appeared and made her way into the room, her assistant following close behind her.

“My queen, my king.” She greeted, bowing low as her assistant mirrored her movements. The pair walked towards the bed, the midwife’s gaze immediately falling onto Calanthe, who lay on the bed taking heaving breaths into her burning lungs. “My queen, how far apart would you say your contractions are.”

“Too close now…” She gasped, gripping both the sheets and Eist’s hand as another contraction ripped across her abdomen. “This labor… Is progressing f-faster… Than it did with Pavetta.” She fought back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks at the mention of her late daughter’s name. She fought against the pain that burned in her abdomen as the babe within her continued to push down the birth canal to her cervix. “Be that as… It may…” She paused to collect herself, a yelp of pain passing through her a moment later. “Th-They’re ready… To come now…!”

The midwife moved to sit at Calanthe’s feet before she and her assistant covered the queen with a light sheet. The assistant excused herself to collect a basin of warm water to use on the newborn babe to wash off the afterbirth that they would be covered in. Eist took hold of Calanthe’s hand as another contraction took the meager amount of strength the queen had.

“I’m right here, love.” He breathed, leaning in and placing a kiss to her forehead.

“Good…” She wheezed, closing her eyes to collect her strength once more.

Once the necessary objects were procured, the midwife checked to see how far along Calanthe’s labor had progressed before announcing that she was ready to push. Calanthe needed no further coaxing and immediately bore down as the midwife coached her from the foot of the bed. Eist remained true to his word. He remained at her side, no matter how painfully she gripped his hand, or how sharp her tongue was, he still stayed. Even when she had threatened to flay him alive for impregnating her, he took the brunt of her anguish, reminding himself that it would be wroth it once he held their child in his arms. When his wife’s screams of pain were replaced by another’s wails of life, he allowed himself to relax and breathe.

“A son, your grace.” The midwife relayed, her smile stretching across her lips as she handed the wailing babe off to her assistant to clean and wrap.

“A son.” Eist breathed, his own smile growing to match that of the midwife. “We have a son, Calanthe!” He exclaimed, turning his gaze down to his wife’s strained expression. He arched an eyebrow at this. “What is it, love?”

“There’s… Another…” She panted, straining against the pain in her body as she leaned forwards once more, bearing down against the shooting pain in her body. The midwife turned back to Calanthe, shock taking over her expression as she immediately moved to help the queen.

“It appears the prince has a sibling to follow him!” She beamed, hands out to catch the second baby as it passed through the birth canal.

Eist was once again perched at Calanthe’s side, holding tight to her hand as he whispered soothing words to her, hoping to ease her pain even just a little bit. Within a few minutes, the young prince’s sibling was born, immediately being handed off to the young assistant while the midwife handed over the prince to his father.

“The second child is a daughter.” The midwife spoke, watching as the princess was handed off to her father. “My queen, please push for me again. We must remove the afterbirth.”

Calanthe obliged the midwife, expelling the placenta from her body with assistance from the woman before her. Once she was given permission to move, she eased herself up and propped her back against the pillows behind her. Sweat matted her hair to her skin, but she cared little for her appearance. She glanced over and took in the sight of her children nestled in her husband’s arms, both sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.

“Eist… We must name them.” She breathed, her voice hoarse, as she gently traced her finger along their daughter’s arm.

“Hmm… Our son should be named Kai.” He proclaimed, nodding at the infant in his right arm. Calanthe gazed down at him and nodded her head in approval. “Kai Tuirseach of Cintra and Skellige.”

“I love it.” Calanthe hummed, leaning her head onto Eist’s shoulder. “For our daughter, how do you feel about Nereida… Nereida Fiona Riannon of Cintra and Skellige.”

“It’s perfect, my queen.” Eist replied, almost immediately. He gently handed the newly named Nereida off to her mother, who held the newborn close to her chest with tears welling up in her eyes.

“I’d forgotten how small they are.” She breathed, her voice barely a whisper in the room as she gazed down at their daughter.

“I had as well.” Eist replied, a slight chuckle in his voice. “It’s been a while since Cirilla was this small.”

Calanthe couldn’t help the small chuckle as she turned her gaze over to her smiling husband. Eist leaned in and captured her lips in a tender kiss before pulling back in order to gaze down at their son once more. Calanthe, in turn, couldn’t help but be captivated by their sleeping daughter as she lay nestled up against her chest. It would be a few hours yet before Cirilla woke up, and she knew her granddaughter would be more than excited to see the new babies when she walked in to wake her up. She expressed this concern to her husband, who simply smiled before standing from the bed and placing Kai into the crib, followed behind by Nereida as soon as Calanthe handed her over to Eist.

“I will never make you go through childbirth again.” Eist spoke, turning onto his side to gaze at Calanthe as she settled in beside him.

“Oh? Why is that?” She questioned, an amused smirk on her lips as she looked up into her husband’s eyes.

“I have my son and daughter, a beautiful and intelligent granddaughter, and a wife who has given me the chance to be a father. I could ask for nothing more.” He breathed, tracing the line of her jaw with his knuckles.

“That is, by far, one of the sweetest things you’ve ever said to me.” She chuckled, her voice fading in and out of consciousness as sleep crept up to grab her.

“Sleep now, love… We shall talk in the morning.”

Calanthe didn’t struggle. She let her eyes shut and allowed sleep to claim her tired body and exhausted mind. Eist leaned over and placed a kiss to her forehead before gathering her in his arms and drifting off to sleep beside her.


End file.
